Separator for grinding-mills



B. MCBRIDE.

SEPARATOR FOR GRINDING MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1919.

/7 W', t 76 e llIlIl/lll Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERT MCBRIDE, OF ADA, OHIO.

SEPARA'IOR FOR GRINDING-MILLS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 23, 1920 Application filed June 30, 1919. Serial No. 307,807.

To all 1.0710122. it may concern:

lie it known that I, Bnnr MCBRIDE, itCltlzen of the United States, residlng at Ada, lll the county of Hardin and State of Ohio, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements in Separators for Grinding terial to be ground before the material is delivered to the feed mill hopper. The objects of my invention are to provide a cleaner or separator in which the separating device moves through the grain as the grain passes through a hopper or chute without carrying the grain along therewith; to provide a separator in which the trash is can ried forwardly by the separating device while the device moves through the grain; to provide a separator which will run full of grain at all times; to provide aseparator which will not overflow; to provide a separator in which the grain itself holds the trash on the separating device during the separating operation; to provide a separator of this type which is practically dustless; to provide a separator with a large working capacity; to provide a separator which is practical, useful and economical as co1npared with similar devices now in use.

In attempting to attain the objects which are attained by the device constituting the subject matter of my invention it has been customary to use a separator of the shaker type above the bin in the cupola of the mill or elevator. The grain after being mixed in the pit is elevated to the top of the mill and passed through the shaker or separator into the, grinding bins at a rate of approximately 200 bushels per hour. To handle grain at this rate and in this manner necessitates a verylarge screen and much The separator which I have devised is located near themillproper, in fact,

feeds directly into the hopper of the mill.

It handles the grain at the same rate as the mill, is small, has few moving parts, reniircs little power and attention, and is effective in its operation.

I am aware that I am notthe first to provide a separator located in the same general position with respect to themill as I locate the separator described herein, thatis, in

for this purpose. ported upon and discharges into the hopimmediate proximity to the mill. Usually inconstructions ofthis general type the separator is made a part of the mill, in which case it is accessible only with difficulty, is easily choked overflows, and is not altogether automatic in operation to permit the passage of large foreign objects, and

withal, is not effective in operation. I am' aware also that it is not new to employ a shaker of the screen type or the notched bar type to separate various materials, such as grain, coal and ore. But the device which I have invented is not of the screen type. A screen would not operate effectively to pass through the mass of grain during the separating operation without lifting the grain. In the notched bar type of shaker heretofore used the grateor shaker was not devised nor intended nor would it operate to separate foreign matter by moving through the mass of grain. In my device the bars or slats move as a unit through the grain, and the grain retains the trash on the bars until such foreign matter passes over the forward end of the bars into the discharge spout provided therefor.

In attaining the objects of my invention I make use of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a side view of the device with parts broken away to show the interior construction; i

Fig; 2 is an enlarged the grate employed; i

Fig. 3 is a view of the wear plate under the forward end of the grate, and

Fig. a viewof the wear plate above the rear end of the grate.

In the description which follows, similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The device consists of an inclined hopper or chute 1 having at its upper end a grain inlet 2, the upper end being-preferably open The lower end 3 is sup per l of the grinding mill, the upper end of the device, in case an inclined chute is used. may be supported in any convenient manner, but a support adjustable in height is preferable in order to vary the inclination of the device as a whole, particularly the grate hereinafter described.

This grate consists of a plurality of parallel, notched bars .5 spaced apart and seperspective view of cured together. For ordinary purposes these bars are approximately of an inch thick and one inch wide, and their length as well as their number depends upon the size of device desired. The bars are preferably made of metal and are secured together by means of bolts 6 near the ends thereof, the separation being effected by washers or other suitable separating members 7 on the bolts 6 It is also preferable to provide additional securing means as the bolts 8 near the forward ends of the bars. The upper edges of the bars are provided with notches forming saw-teeth 9 as shown. -These notches are for usual purposes about 1}; inch deep and inch apart, and are so inclined as to carry the trash forward as the grate is given movement through the grain inthe manner hereinafter described. 'The forward ends of the :bars 5 are not provided with notches 9, but

are stepped 'ofi? instead as shown at 10. This construction is found to be moreefiective in crank for the crosshead 14c and thus give movement to the entire grate. The shaft 15 rotates in a clockwise direction in Fig. 1, for the purposeof carrying the trash forwardly at each forward movement of the grate. Preferably bars Hand 12 are not provided with the stepped down portions 10,

but have the teeth formed by notches 9 extending to the discharge end of the grate.

Therear end of the grate slides upon a smooth rod 18 made of suitable wear resisting material. This rod is located adjacent a suitable transverse slot 18 formed in the wall of the hopper 01' chute 1. Removably mounted on the wall of the hopper or chute l adjacent the slot 18 but opposite the rod 18 is a hardwood block 19 upon which is adjustably secured by means of bolts or screws 20 the wear plate 21. These bolts pass through suitable slots 21 in the wear plate and into thehardwood block 19.

' In the form of d vice shown in Fig. 1 a slide 22 operating in suitable guides within the chute 1 serves to regulate the feed of the grant The lower end of this slide terminates adjacent the grate bars 5 and is preferably beveledtas' shown at 22 to permit more ready passage of large objects such as ears of corn, dead rats, etc. For ordinary purposes the lower end of slide 22 is adjusted so as to be approximately 2 inches from the grate, but preferably the slide is ailpistable by means of pins 23 in suitable holes in theedges of the slide as shown. Attached to these pins are the upper ends of coiled springs 24 the lower ends of which are secured to suitable pins or screws 25 in the sides of the hopper 1. The purpose of this construction is to permit the slide to raise to permit the passage of large objects as referred to heretofore, and to insure the return of the slide to its proper position.

Located beneath the forward end of the grate in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1 is the trash discharge spout 26. This spout slopes toward and opens through that side of the machine opposite the elongated bars 11, 12, and is spaced from the inclined wall or bottom of the chute l a .suiiicient distance to permit the passage of the cleaned grain thereunder. Secured beneath the forward end of the grate by suitable m ans such as bolts in slots 28 is an adjustable plate 2%). This plate is adjustable to and from the grate and serves as a wear plate at this end of the grate.

Securely fastened to either side of the 10PP8I or chute 1 adjacent the outside bars of the grate are bars 30 to facilitate forward movement of such trash as may be near the edges of the grate.

It is to be understood however that in the construction the hopper may be of the usual hopper form, and in this case the uncleaned grain enters the hopper above the grate then passes through the grate leaving the trash on the grate to be fed forwardly thereon to the discharge end located in any convenient position. In this form of device the slide 22 may be dispensed with for obvious reasons. In other respects the construction would not differ from the form of device shown.

In the operation of the device the shaft 15 is rotated at a speed of about 30 revolin tions per minute in a direction to move the teeth of the grate bars forwardly, downwardly, backwardly, then upwardly. The mass of grain above the grate serves to keep trash such as corn robs, bag strings, straw. dead rats and mice, etc. down on the bars so that while the grain itself passes through between the bars and then to the hopper of the mill, the trash is carried forward on the grate by the teeth and discharged from the forward end of the grate into the discharge spout or other suitable trash discharge means. In practice the lower end of the slide 22 is adjusted about 2 inches from the grate. The grate is given a slight inclination, being higher at its forward end, that is,

at the end at which the trash discharges. The slide 22 is preferably adjusted so that the surface of the grain between the lower end of the slide and the forward end of the incense grate is approximately level. As the bars or slats of the grate work up and down through the uncleaned grain it is immaterial how much grain accumulates in the inlet end of the device, nor is it material whether the cleaned grain accumulates below the grate.

In case the uncleaned grain is fed too rapidly or in casethe uncleaned grain is not removedfast enough the efiicient operation of the device is not seriously interfered with. My device is practically free from choking and overflowing, defects which are characteristic of the strictly shaker and screen type of cleaners and separators now in use. My device is also an efiicient and practical improvement over that type of separator which utilizes a double set of bars, some of which are operated by a crank shaft while others are stationary. I

From the above description it may be seen that I have provided a separator that is simple in construction, and eflicient, practical and economical in operation. While I have described the preferred form of com struction and arrangement of the various parts of my device, I do not mean to limit the construction to the exact means shown, as various modifications may be resorted to as long as they come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as my invention and that for which I desire Letters Patent is:

1. A separator of the type set forth comprising a hopper, a reciprocatory separating grate extending across said hopper, intermediate the ends thereof, an adjustable slide mounted in said hopper for movement to and from said grate, and means for ion gitudinally reciprocating said grate with respect to said hopper.

2. A grain cleaner comprising a hopper having an inclined wall, a reciprocatory separating grate extending across said hopper intermediate the ends thereof and inclined in a direction opposite to the direction of inclination of the said wall, means for feeding trash forwardly on said grate, an adjustable slide mounted in said hopper for movement to and from said grate, and means for longitudinally reciprocating said grate with respect to said hoppen' 3. grain cleaner of the type set forth comprising a hopper, a reciprocatory separating grate mounted across said hopper, said grate consisting of a plurality of bars spaced from one another and provided with notches on their upper edges, an adjustable slide mounted in said hopper for movement to and from said grate, and means for rec1p rotating said grate.

l. In a separator of the type set forth, a separating grate consisting of a plurality of bars spaced from one another and provided with notches on their upper edges, a slide mounted for movement to and from said grain, a hopper, ahorizontallyinclined separating grate extending across the hopper and consisting of spaced, parallel bars notched on their upper edges to provide means for feeding trash forwardly on said grate while the grain passes through said grate, :and means for longitudinally reciprocating said grate and simultaneously cans ing one end thereof to be raised and lowered whereby trashwill be carried forwardly on said grate while the grain passes therethrough. I

6. Ina device for separating trash from grain, a horizontally inclined separating grate oonsistingof connected, spaced, paral lel bars provided with notches on their upper edges to provide means for feeding trash forwardly on said grate while the grain passes therethrough, some of said bars having extensions on the forward ends thereof, a crosshead on said extensions, a rotary shaft, and a crank 011 said shaft with which said crosshead engages.

7. A separator for removing trash from grain comprising a hopper, a separating grate extending across said hopper, said grate consisting of spaced, connected, parallel bars provided with notches on their upper edges, said grate being horizontally inclinedin the direction of its length, a slide in said hopper mounted to permit movement to and from said grate, means tending to move said slide toward said grate, some of the bars (if said grate having extensions thereon, a crosshead on said extensions, a rotary shaft, a crank on said shaft with which said crosshead engages, and a trash discharge spout under the upper end of the grate to receive trash carried forward by the grate.

8. A separator of the type set forth comprising a hopper having an inclined side wall provided with a slotted opening, a grate extending across said hopper and having one end supported for sliding movement in said opening, said grate being inclined upvardly from said end and consisting of a plurality of connected, spaced, parallel bars, teeth projecting from the upper edges of the bars, some of said bars having extensions on their higher ends, a rotary shaft, a crank on said shaft, a crosshead on said extensions engaging with said crank, a slide mounted in said hopper for movement to and from said grate, a spring connected to said slide to move the same toward the grate, and a trash discharge spout beneath the higher end of the grate.

9. In a separator of the type set forth, a grate including a plurality of spaced, connected, parallel bars, teeth projecting from the upper edges thereof, said teeth terminating short of one end of each of said bars, steps on the remaining portion of some of said bars, meansfor reciprocating said grate in the direction of the length of said bars and simultaneously raising and lower-V ing the stepped'end of said grate;

10. A separating grate for a grain cleaning deviceincluding a plurality of spaced, connected, parallel bars, teeth projecting from the edges of said bars on one side of said grate, a portion of'each of said bars at one end of said grate being free from said teeth, and steps occupying the remaining portions of some of said bars, for the purpose described.-

11. A separator of the type set forth comprising a grain receiving hopper, a movable grate mounted therein, said grate consisting of a plurality of closely spaced, parallel bars provided with projecting teeth on their upper edges, means for reciprocating the grate in the direction of the length of said bars, and simultaneously raising and lowering the grate through the grain in the hopper.

12. A separating device comprising a hopper, a reciprocatory grate mounted therein, said grate being constructed and arranged to move freely through the grain in said hopper and to retain trash thereon, means on the grate for feeding the trash forwardly thereon upon reciprocation of the grate through the grain, and means for reciproeating the grate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BER-T MQBRIDE. 

